French Martini

A bar invention from the late 1980s

The French Martini owes nothing to France beyond the liqueur and nothing to a Martini beyond the glass. It appeared in New York when Chambord was being pushed into American bars, and it survived because pineapple and raspberry taste better together than they have any right to.

What each pour contributes

Two ounces of vodka is the neutral base — the aim is not to taste it but to give the fruit something to stand on, so a clean unflavoured vodka beats a flavoured one. Half an ounce of Chambord adds black raspberry, honey and a hint of vanilla, and its colour is what turns the drink pink. One ounce of pineapple juice supplies both the acid and the foam: shaken hard, its proteins whip into a head that sits on the surface like froth on a cappuccino.

Shake it, and shake it properly

Unlike a dry Martini, this one wants the aeration. Fill the tin two-thirds with ice, shake for twelve seconds until your fingers ache, then pass it through a fine strainer into a chilled stemmed glass. The fine mesh catches pineapple fibre and keeps the foam smooth instead of bubbly.

How strong is it?

About 24% ABV before shaking and nearer 20% in the glass, with roughly 175 calories. It drinks like a soft fruit cocktail, which is exactly why bars serve it in a small glass.

Mistakes to avoid

• Stirring out of habit, which leaves a flat drink with no head at all.
• Using carton pineapple with added sugar, which turns the drink cloying.
• Building it over ice in a tumbler, where the froth collapses immediately.

Two variations

A gin French Martini uses a London dry instead of the vodka for juniper and a drier finish. A Raspberry Royale tops the same drink with sparkling wine for a longer, fizzier serve.

Do you need Chambord specifically?

Any black raspberry liqueur works. Crème de framboise is thinner and sweeter, so add a squeeze of lemon to compensate.

Is a French Martini sweet?

Moderately, and the liqueur carries all the sugar. Cutting the pineapple juice is the wrong fix; cut the Chambord to a quarter ounce instead.